Wringer



Oct. 20, 2 1,557,828

J. N. GOULD 'WRINY-G ER v Filed 11 1's. 1921 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 \NVENTbi P JOHN GOULD.

ATTY'S.

Oct. 20, 2 a 1,557,828

J. N. GOULD .wxmezn Filed Jun 5. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 \NVENTOR. JOHN QouLD.

Patented Oct. 20, 19 25,

S TES PATENT orrlcs. T

101m 1v. eo'onn, or rnxnmcxrowu, onr'o, Assranoa, 3! mm: Assrommurs, 'ro

, ml. 3. ZIEG IFG. COMPANY, OF FREDERIGKTO'WN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

To all whom it may comem:

Be it known that I, Join: N. GOULD,- a

' citizen of the United States, residing at The invention relates to'clothes wringers and more particularly to power driven 10 wringers used in connection with washing machines. The invention has special relation to a safety device for the quick release and separation of the rollers in case of emergency.

In the ordinary type of-power dr ven wringers there is constant liabillty of ln ury tothe operator and also of damage to the mechanism. The danger arises from the difliculty in the ordinary wringer of stop- 20 ping the operation of the wrmger before such injury or damage has occurred, as when an operators hand is caught between the rolls or clothes are wound about and entangled with the rolls. These condltlons 25 have necessitated the development of means for quickly releasing the compresslon between the rolls. Such safety devices as have heretofore been used to accomplish the quick release of' the rolls have been generally inconvenient and uncertain in operation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a quick operating device II1b1I11I1g tensioning means for efiecting compresslon of-the rollers with releasing means for relieving such tension and separating the rollers.

Another object of the invention is to provide rominently available controlling means I) instant release of the rolls from any position about the wringer.

Another object is to provide a unitary device for causing the release and separation of the rolls, and also for restoring the rolls to operative relation under tension.

A further object is to provide a simple construction which is very compact in its arrangement and comprising a minimum of parts without lateral projections to obstruct the efiicient and convenient operation of the wringer.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent in the following detailed description Of preferred embodiment of my invention ywhich an operator may effect the wnmena. v Application ma m, a, 1921. Serial 1lo. 474,786.

which I have illustrated in the accompany-- mg drawings. It will be understood, however, that in the appended claims I aim to cover all legitimate variations and modificatlons of the preferred construction illustrated herein, which are Within the scope of my invention. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wringer equipped with my device. Fig. 2 is an end vlew showing the parts in normal position for the operation of the wringer. Fig. 3 is a partial elevation of the tensioning and releasing mechanism showing the parts moved partially into position to release the tension 11 on the rolls. Fig. 1 is an end view of the wringer showing the parts of the releasing device in the ex .treme position for the release and separation of the rolls.

, In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated, I have shown a wringer as adapted for use in a conventional construction of a mechanical washing machine, The

wrin er is mounted upon a swinging bracket '10 w lch carries a gear box 11 housing a conventional gear mechanlsm adapted to drive the wringer rolls. The bracket may be provided with a tubular extension 12 through which a drive shaft 13 mayextend the upper portion of the'gear box for the convenient operation of means controlling the engagement of the drive mechanism actuating the wringer rolls. Mounted on the upper surface of the bracket 10 are a pair of spaced upright standards 15 and 16 on which are supported the roller bearings and which comprise a frame carrying the releasing mechanism. In the lower bearings 17 and 18, formed on the standards 15 and 16, are journalled the ends of the shaft 19 which carries the lower roll 20 of the wringer. One end of the shaft 19 extends through the bearing 17 and has a suitable drive connection with the gear mechanism housed within the gear box 11.

Located above the lower bearings 17 and 18, and extending longitudinally in each of thestandards 15 and 16 are elongated slots 21 awa t-s lls sl sle eys A second shaft into the gear box 11 for the operation of the 22, having its ends extending through the slots 21, carries the upper roll 23 normally positioned immediately above and resting upon the lower roll 20. Rigidly mounted upon the ends respectively of the upper and lower roll shafts 19 and 22 adjacent to the gear box 11, are a pair of gears 24 and' 25 which interengage when the upper roll is in operative position upon the lower roll,

- relation to the slots 21. Each of the bearment the springs are somewhat ing blocks 26 and 27 is provided with an upwardly extending spirally corrugated projection 28 adapted to receive 1n rigi engagement therewith the end of a coiled spring 29.

At the upper end of each spring I have provided a member 30 having also a spirally corrugated'projection 31 which is engaged within the upper end of the spiral spring. Each member 30 is laterally bifurcated through its upper portion as at 32, and is also provided with registering transverse apertures 33 extendingthrough both arms of the bifurcated portion of the member. Extending within the bifurcated portion of each member 30 is a swinging arm 34 carrying a cross pin 35 extending through the apertures 33. The upper end of each arm 34 is swingably mounted on a fixed pivot 36 rigidly secured at the upper ends of the standards 15 and 16 respectively.

The arms 34 form, with the springs 29.

and their rigidly associated end members, pairs of toggle members which, when in alinement parallel with the longitudinal axes of the standards, effect the positive positioning of the upper shaft near the bottom of the slots 21, with the rolls in operative relation. The springs 29 are of such length that when the members are in alinecompressed and thereby effect the necessary operating compression between the wringer rolls.

To stabilize the members in alined position and prevent their displacement in the ordinary operation of the wringer, I have flattened the upper faces of the bifurcated members 30 as at .37 and have providedshoulders '38 on the arms 34 which are adapted to engage with the flattened faces 37. By this means when the members are alined, it is necessary to positively swing the toggle joints to break them and release the I in the-toggle joint by a control bar 40. In

operation the control bar 40 may be grasped 'or pushed from either side of the wringer in either direction to break the toggle joints at both ends of the wringer rolls and thus instantly release the upper roll from all tension of the springs 29. By the further movement of the control ,bar the bearing blocks 26 and 27 are drawn upwardly, bemg guided by' the passage of the upper roll shaft 22 through the longitudinal slots 21 in the standards. By this simple means the rolls are quickly released from compression and separated to any desired degree to per- ,mit the quick withdrawal of the operators hand in case of accident, or to remove clothes which may be entangled about the rolls. To restore the rolls to operative relation under compression, it'is necessary only to move the bar into position between the" upright standards whereby the upper roll is lowered into.operative position and with the alinement of the toggle members spring tensionvis again applied thereto. y, The control bar is sufliciently elevated above the rolls so that it offers no obstruction to the ordinary use of the wringer and by reason of its location is conspicuously in view and instantlyavailable to the operator from any position on either side of the wringer. The length of the bar extending along the entire length of the rolls afl'ords added facility to the operator for .quickly grasping and releasing the rolls from tension in case of accident.

It will now be apparent that I have provided quick releasing means of a very com- I pact and simple construction which securely holds the rolls'inproper operative relation under compression until it may be desired to release them, and that the latter operation may be easily accomplished by the movement of the readily available control bar, thereby instantly releasing the rolls and positively forcing their separation. It will also be observed that the continuous engagement of the interconnected parts and the operation of the toggle action between the members avoids the necessity for the separate replacement of the rolls and the tensioning means in restoring them to operative relation.

I claim as my'invention:

1. A wringer comprising a frame, a pair of rolls in said frame, mounting means permitting motion of one of'said rolls toward and away from the other, and a pair of toggle members supported on each side of said frame in planes transverse to the axis of the rolls, one member of each toggle being longitudinally compressible, and a member parallel to said rolls connecting each pair of toggles substantially at the joint, each pair of toggle members when in alinement being operative to effect compression between said rolls and when broken to release said rolls from compression whereupon the movable roll is free for separation from the other of said pair of rolls by movement in said mounting means.

2. In a wringer, a lower roll having a fixed bearing, an upright support, a movable upper roll slidably engaging said support, a movable bearing carried by said upper roll, an arm pivoted on the upper end of said support, a coiled spring having one end attached to said movable bearing and the other end pivotally connected to the free end of said arm, said arm and spring being swingable into and out of alinement to compress and release respectively said rolls, said pivotal connection between said arm and spring having means to slightly resist the movement of those members out of alinement.

3. In a wringer, a lower roll having a fixed bearing, an uprightsupport, a movable upper roll slidably engaging said support, a movable bearing carried by said upper roll, a coiled spring having one end fixed on said movable bearing, a member fixed on the opposite end of said spring having a transverse aperture and a peripheral pocket opening therefrom, said member having a flat outer extremity, an arm pive oted on the upper portion of said support and havin a transverse shoulder ad acent its free en adapted to engage the flattened extremity of said member when said arm and sprlng are in alined position, a pin car- -ried by said armand freely engaging the bearings, a pair of compressible members fixed on said movable bearings respectively and pivotally connected to said arms, said arms and compressible members forming a pair of toggles adapted to resiliently force said upper roll upon said lower roll when alined, and to release and positively separate said rolls when moved out of alinement, and a cross bar extending between said toggles for swinging the joints thereof simultaneously.

5. In a wringer having a stationary roll and a movable roll, toggle means for releasably forcing said movable roll into tensioned contact with said stationary roll, said means comprisin an arm swingable on a fixed pivot, a co1led spring, end members having spirally corrugated portions in rigid engagement with the respective end coils of said spring, one of said end members bemg pivoted to the free end of said arm and the other forming a bearing for said movable roll.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set In hand.

y JOHN N. GOULD. 

